.png){kind=logo}
The power of women united should not be ignored and Belén writer-director and star Dolores Fonzi will make sure you know that. Belén, based on the book Somos Belén (We Are Belén) by Ana Correa, is a compelling true story that follows the contentious case of a young Argentinian woman (Camila Plaate) who is admitted to a hospital with severe abdominal pain, unaware that she is pregnant. The woman miscarries, and is arrested on extremely sparse evidence for inducing an illegal abortion, a “crime” that lands her a two-year detention in prison and a subsequent eight-year sentence.
The unjust ruling sparks an outcry from women throughout the country, and a female lawyer, Soledad Deza (Fonzi), takes on the young woman’s case and fights for her freedom with the support of thousands of women and organizations. This protest would eventually lead to the Argentinian government passing a legalization of abortion in 2020.
During Deadline’s screening series for the film at The London West Hollywood on Thursday, Fonzi spoke about what compelled her to bring this powerful story to life. In the film, Fonzi describes a scene where Soledad appears on a talk show to bring attention to Belén’s case, only to be undermined by an anti-abortion commentator on the show who compares the responsibility of women carrying babies to that of breeding a litter of puppies. In real life, Fonzi says, that reference was pulled from an Argentinian senator.
“[The moment that radicalized me] was similar to the scene with the TV show host [in the film], but in real life, to hear a female senator [compare women] to puppies because she’s against the law, it was very important to show how we deal with this fight [for abortion rights] throughout the time Belén was released until the law was signed. It was important that I felt very excited about the topic and that I could make this movie fearlessly,” Fonzi continued. “I should have had fear, but I didn’t because it was so important for me to tell all the things that we survived during those years, [especially] because many of us activism actresses were very involved with the reality of our country. Yes, the movie was about a real case, but it was also about ourselves as women in Argentina.”
Actor Julieta Cardinali, who plays Beatriz Camaño, another lawyer in the film, talked about the impact and appreciation of the Argentinian film committee choosing it as the official 2026 Oscars entry. “[This film being received] is worth it – especially right now in this time of the world with what is happening now. Talking about this film and these topics are very important.”
Fonzi added, “Making this movie a cinematic event was a challenge for us – it is a movie that is a tribute to the women’s movement. The most important thing for me is to represent Argentina to the Oscars, yes, but it’s also important to see that people have interest in watching it. We’ve been traveling a lot since September [2025], leaving our families and everything [to spread the word of this film.] And it’s been moving to see people moved after watching it. To me, that means the movie’s [impact] will talk itself.”
English (US) ·